Classroom Observation Ideas

Based on discussion at FLD session on 8/29/16

What can help to support peer (faculty-faculty) classroom observations?

Resource guide that peer observers and instructors can reference to get the
most out of their observation experiences and support/sustain positive collegial
relationships
List of suggested guiding questions to facilitate pre- and post-observation
conversations
Training and/or form(s) to support how an observer should conduct an
observation and how pre/post conversations should go

Pre-observation Conversation

Instructor to observer:
These are a few areas of my teaching that I could really use constructive
feedback on
o E.g., How can I more effectively engage students on the topic of XYZ?
How can I better structure and incorporate small group discussions
during my class? How can I better manage the talkers/disrupters in my
class? etc. etc.
Id particularly like you to note these type of data/things/interactions when
youre observing my class
o E.g., level of student attention and engagement during different class
activities, percentage of students in class who participate in some way
to class discussion, number of times I used different instructional
techniques, etc.
Instructors should share the learning objectives of the class session in
advance and provide info on what the observer might want to know or review
in advance to be most prepared for the observation (e.g., syllabus, assigned
reading that day, JetNet materials for the class, etc.).

Together:
Is there anything else the observer should focus on when observing the
class?
o E.g., classroom management, pace/tone, class organization,
instructional techniques, student rapport, etc. etc. (See current form
for list of other items.)
Logistics
o How should we introduce who observer is and why he/she is here?
o Where should observer sit during the class?
o How long should he/she stay?

During Observation

With pre-observation discussion in mind, observer should take process notes while
class runs, focusing on data that would be most helpful/beneficial to instructor:
 Transcribe a running narrative of whats happening during the class and how
students are responding: e.g., transcribe teacher-student interactions and
student-student interactions
Current form can be referenced ahead of time, but may be distracting if used
as tool during actual observation.

Post-observation Debriefing

Focus should be on having a collaborative dialogue on the data collected during

observation. (Avoid evaluative or critical judgements.)

Guiding questions to consider:

Observer to instructor: How do you think the class went? Why?
Instructor to observer: What did you see and hear? What struck you?
Together: What moments/techniques worked particularly well? Why? What
moments/techniques could have worked better? Why?
Observed instructor: How will the data collected today and this discussion
inform my instruction? What might I plan to do differently in my next class?
Observer: What have I learned here that I can apply to my own instruction?

Other considerations
Discipline specific guidelines or forms?
Guidelines and forms for clinical instruction (idea: Ask students 1-on-1 off to
side.)
What pro dev models can help support positive observation experiences?
(Case studies? Team observations?)
Can Master Adjuncts observe peers?

Resources on this topic

Emily Dolci Grimm, Trent Kaufman and Dave Doty (May 2014), Rethinking Classroom
Observations, ASCD Educational Leadership, accessible at
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-
leadership/may14/vol71/num08/Rethinking-Classroom-Observation.aspx.

Jason Flom (October, 2014), Peer-to-Peer Observation: Five Questions for Making It
Work, ASCD InService, accessible at http://inservice.ascd.org/peer-to-peer-
observation-five-questions-for-making-it-work/.

Teachers Observing Teachers: A Professional Development Tool for Every School,

Education World, accessible at
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin297.shtml.